Page:Famous Fantastic Mysteries (1951-03).djvu/9

 "Perhaps you might, If I'm willing to take the risk of appointing you without references," he said shortly, "That is, if you have no objections to carrying out your duties at night." He glanced keenly at me again.

I was surprised at the condition, and showed it.

"At night?" I exclaimed. "Why—"

"Why are you wanted to drive a car at night?" he retorted. "Well, that is very easily explained. The young man you are going to drive is suffering from some sort of nervous disorder, the result of an illness abroad, I believe. You are sufficiently competent to drive a car in the nighttime, I presume?"

"Of course I can, if necessary, but it's rather an unusual thing to be employed to do."

"That's a matter which concerns neither you nor myself," he rejoined dryly. "You have heard the reason, and it is not for you to make comment. In fact, such a remark savours of indiscretion to me. You'll allow me to point out that a young man in such a post as you are seeking is expected, above all things, to be discreet. My client writes that he dismissed his last chauffeur for gossiping at the village inn." He feigned to shuffle among the papers of the table, as if in search of his client's letter, but his eye was watching me all the time. "Perhaps," he continued, "it will be wiser not to send you down. There have been many other applicants, although I have not yet come to a choice."

Again I met his look smiling, though I did not feel very cheerful just then.

"I shall try to show discretion, if you'll give me the chance," I said. "I'd be very grateful to you for the job."

He seemed to consider the subject in another lengthy pause.

"There's an undoubted risk about it, taking you without a reference," he said at length, in his dry, unsmiling way. "I really don't know what to say. Perhaps— but here's another thing I must put before you, and it's the most important matter of all. Have you traveled? Have you ever been abroad?"

"Abroad is a vague word," I answered. "During the war I was over in France."

"So I understood from your war service," he dryly replied. "That does not matter. But were you ever farther afield?"

"In Germany too,"' I answered wonderingly, "though only as far as—"

He interrupted me with an impatient wave of his hand.

"That's of no consequence either. I have something quite different in my mind. Have you, for instance, ever been in Peru?"

He joined the tips of his fingers together on the table in front of him as he asked this question, and looked at me over the apex with a pretentiously careless air. Had he desired to know if I'd been to the moon it would not have surprised me more. But I kept an impassive face, and answered "No."

"Nor to South America, let us say?"

I gave a similar answer to that question also, and added that I had never been anywhere out of England except in France and Germany, during the progress of the war.

He appeared satisfied with these answers, thoughtfully rubbing his yellow jaws with cautious fingers, and looking at me again with his dry, considering eye.

"I think you will do," he said slowly. "The post is yours, if you care to take it. The wages are fifty shillings a week."

"I am very thankful indeed for your kindness," I gratefully replied. "Where am I to go, and when?"

"You are engaged by Colonel Gravenail, of Charmingdene, St. Bree, Cornwall. He desires that the chosen applicant shall be sent at once. Could you go to Cornwall by the ten o'clock train tonight?"

"I can manage that quite easily," I rejoined; "that is, if you will advance me the fare."

"Yes; I will do that," he said, with another hard smile. "Meet me by the ticket office at Paddington Station to-night at half-past nine."

His hand reached for a large sheet of blue foolscap as he spoke, and I obeyed